E-Type 4 - Brute

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Let me weave you a fable ...

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The scientists took notes as Alder pummeled the practice bot in the bitter cold. An old robot the scientists had reverse engineered, it was the equivalent of a medium-class demolition bot from Technica. An old one, at least.

While the scientists shivered and huddled together to keep warm, Alder was relatively unaffected. He felt a slight nip, but nothing terrible. A good thing, too, as no jackets fit him.

He batted the robot on the primary ocular structure (head), sending it flying toward a wall in the arena they were in. The robot did quick computing and parted its chest plate, revealing a secondary eye in the center. It threw a punch at Alder. Alder took the punch, grabbed the robot by the shoulder and ripped its arm off, revealing wires and anti-freeze. Picking up the robot, he then tore it in two, leaving the lower body limp. He threw the upper body at a wall, which damaged the robot heavily. Finally thinking it weak enough to disarm, Alder shot his arm into it's chest. He removed the central processing unit and crushed it in his hand. The light in the robot's eye went out.

"Why didn't he do that in the first place?" asked one of the scientists, a gruffer man than most of them.

"He vas not trained in combat, freund. Besides, can you complain vith results? He tore zat Terrabyte apart. Technica has nothing stronger zan Towers, und zose are only two ranks above Terra's. Ven we finish 'Thunderstorm' not even Towers can stand up to him."

A younger scientist patted himself several times and finally spoke out. "Yes, yes, that's all very good, now can we PLEASE discuss this inside? I'm freezing my ass off and I can't take notes on frozen paper."

The others agreed and began marching a path to the bunkers through the snow.

"Stay out here, Alder. Ve vill return shortly," stated the kindly professor as he trodded with the other scientists.

Alder patted his hands together. While the cold didn't effect him terribly, it could still get through. The robot itself was either terribly cold or terribly hot, and the hot just made everything else feel more cold. As his adreneline died and stopped moving so much, his body decreased the heat it gave off. At least some gloves would be nice, he thought.

Could Lily have found some my size? Upon further thought, it was not only terribly unlikely, but simply impossible. His hands were too big.

Of course, no matter how much she had covered up, she could always be very cold. She liked to put her hands to the back of his neck sometimes when they were particularly cold.

He wondered ... was she out in the cold right now?

"Hey, Big Guy! Why ya out in the cold?!"

Alder spun around. There Lily was, sitting on the top of a building, nonchalant as ever.

"Lily?!"

Alder bounded over to the building. Lily slid off for Alder to catch her. Retrieving her in one hand, he set her down in the snow. Where it came up to her knees, it came up to his ankles.

"Lily, what are you doing here? And how did you get here?"

"I climbed. And I'm not letting you run out on me just yet. I need someone to talk to who won't throw me in jail for theft or a lost loan. You're not gonna do that, right?"

"What? No. Look, they don't want anyone visiting me --"

"'Cause you're angry, right? You don't seem very angry to me."

"I'm getting there, alright?"

"C'mon, Aldie. I just wanted to see you. Let me stay a little, please?"

Alder looked at her face. It was the "I'm going to cry if you say 'no'" face. When he'd had siblings, they found him a sucker for this tactic.

"Fine, just for a little."

"Yee!" The joy on her face was unmatched. You couldn't expect more from someone who was either less important than money or simply reviled by anyone who knew her. Well, except Alder.

"Oh, by the way Alder. I got you something!"

She had him lift her up to the building she had been on. On there was a bag she had hid from sight. Plopping it into the snow, she removed her surprise for Alder. Well, she made him close his eyes first. And promise not to peek.

"Ok! Open 'em!"

She held in her hand a large run of cloth. It was a carpet!

"It's a scarf!"

It was a scarf! Lily handed it to Alder. Drooping it about his neck, he flipped it about so that it covered his neck well.

"Well, whadaya think?" Lily inquired.

"I love it," Alder responded. It wasn't gloves, but it kept a lot more warm, that was for sure. "I wish I had something for you, though."

"Well, take me someplace warm, and we'll call it even."

Alder looked around. Lights were on in all the barracks. If anyone knew she was here, he'd never see her again for sure.

"We can't go into any of the buildings. I don't --"

He suddenly felt small arms cling to his torso. He looked down to see Lily clutching him as close as she could.

"You're warm," Lily stated.

Alder's gaze softened. "And you're cold."

Moving his massive arm down, he swept her up. Setting her in his lap, he leaned over her, forming a dome to exclude the cold. He held her close, feeling her shivers soften and then evaporate completely. They sat there a while, simply enjoying each others presence. It was beautiful to see two souls both so desperately deprived of love to finally enjoy it again, in who knows how long a time. And not simply love as humans speak it. Love in it's purest form. As an entity in and of itself, unhindered by the comprehension and misdirection of man. Purely Love.




"Und who is zis?"

Alder jumped at the surprise, popping upward a couple feet.

"Sir, I --"

"Is zis a freund of yours, Alder?"

The scientist looked inquisitively at Lily, who gave the sweetest smile she could muster. After a couple of moments, she dropped the smile and began to fear the worst.

"Ve are done vith discussions for now, Alder. You should head back to your bunker. Und you ...," the scientist directed his attention to Lily.

"Yes, sir?"

"I vill have to escort you out. Just remember to come in through ze main entrance during visiting hours next time. Ve post zem up front." He smiled at Alder, who became ecstatic.

"Vell, go on, Alder. You may be immune to cold, but not disease. Go on, get moving."

Alder gave a salute and headed for his bunker. Meanwhile, the scientist escorted Lily to the warm main hall. There she received a special passport and a list of visiting hours. As well as special dates when she might be most needed.

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He's in this position because I did it on a piece of paper and wanted to get his full body in. Just pretend he's in a small room.

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